U.S. sex offender Sandusky limited in prison due to safety concerns

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Imprisoned serial child sex offender Jerry Sandusky lives under tight restrictions for his own safety, a corrections official said on Saturday, after the former Penn State football coach asked for more prison privileges.

"He is being housed in the appropriate facility in order to assure his safety," said Susan McNaughton, press secretary for the Pennsylvania state Department of Corrections.

She responded to questions from Reuters after one of Sandusky's lawyers complained that his client was confined to his cell 23 hours a day.

"He's being treated like the worst of the worst in the state prison system in terms of his daily routine," attorney Karl Rominger said on Saturday.

He said Sandusky is treated like extremely violent offenders, or those on death row.

Sandusky, 68, Penn State's former defensive coordinator, was convicted in June of 45 counts of sexually abusing 10 boys over 15 years, some in the football team's showers. He was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.

The scandal sparked a national debate over child sex abuse, embarrassed the university and implicated a number of its top officials including legendary football head coach, the late Joe Paterno.

There has been speculation that Sandusky would be threatened by other inmates in prison if he was given more privileges.
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